During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in Italy, marriage and dowry were central issues that greatly impacted both family structure and, thus, social and economic structure. Contrary to modern views of the 20th century, women during these time periods were viewed as vessels for economic and social advancement. A woman’s individuality was insignificant and her importance depended solely on the ability to create strategic marriage ties with families and depended highly upon her accompanying dowry. It should be noted that the use of the dowry and strategic marriage was not specific to Italy and was widely utilized throughout Mediterranean Europe and beyond. This paper will explore the specific financial and economic circumstances that inspired
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The merchandising of potential spouses can be described in an example provided by Gene Brucker in a novel titled Giovanni and Lusanna where he describes the correspondence of Alessandra Strozzi and her family. From1447 to 1471, Alessandra Strozzi was in the process of finding spouses for her two daughters Caterina and Alessandra and her sons Filippo and Lorenzo. In a letter between her son in law, Marco, and Lorenzo, a potential transaction in the marriage market was discussed in great detail when the two assessed a basic cost-benefit analysis between two girls from the Adamari and Tanagli families. With dowries of equal size and similar physical appearances, the two differed in that the Tanagli family status did not rank as high as the Adamari girl’s family. However, the Adamari girl was an orphan who lacked socially significant male relatives, and thus the potential social advancements through each option were evened out. Although Marco ended up not marrying either, this scenario serves as a basic yet illustrative example of how the marriage market was conducted (Brucker, 107). Each aspect of the marriage system addressed above, including the financial implications of the dowry, social class considerations, and family ties will be further explained throughout this …show more content…
The central focus that determined much of what occurred in the marriage market depended on the dowry. “In Italy at least, there could be no marriage without a dowry, nor, obviously enough, could there be a dowry without a marriage” (Molho, 12). The basic organizational structure and function of the dowry is explained as follows. During both medieval and Renaissance Italy, the expected social norm was that a bride’s household provides a dowry. The bride’s husband or his father managed the dowry. Unless the groom passed away, in which the dowry would be returned to the bride, the groom retained control over the dowry and could use it or invest it however he wanted. Although the bride did not possess the ability to manage the dowry, she still held legal ownership over it (Botticini, 105). Technically, a woman’s dowry traveled with her throughout her life. The dowry provided for household costs as well as provided for the woman upon the passing of her husband. Since a woman could not inherit her father’s estate, the dowry served as reassurance that she would be able to protect her own estate (Klapisch-Zuber,
The merchandising of potential spouses can be described in an example provided by Gene Brucker in a novel titled Giovanni and Lusanna where he describes the correspondence of Alessandra Strozzi and her family. From1447 to 1471, Alessandra Strozzi was in the process of finding spouses for her two daughters Caterina and Alessandra and her sons Filippo and Lorenzo. In a letter between her son in law, Marco, and Lorenzo, a potential transaction in the marriage market was discussed in great detail when the two assessed a basic cost-benefit analysis between two girls from the Adamari and Tanagli families. With dowries of equal size and similar physical appearances, the two differed in that the Tanagli family status did not rank as high as the Adamari girl’s family. However, the Adamari girl was an orphan who lacked socially significant male relatives, and thus the potential social advancements through each option were evened out. Although Marco ended up not marrying either, this scenario serves as a basic yet illustrative example of how the marriage market was conducted (Brucker, 107). Each aspect of the marriage system addressed above, including the financial implications of the dowry, social class considerations, and family ties will be further explained throughout this …show more content…
The central focus that determined much of what occurred in the marriage market depended on the dowry. “In Italy at least, there could be no marriage without a dowry, nor, obviously enough, could there be a dowry without a marriage” (Molho, 12). The basic organizational structure and function of the dowry is explained as follows. During both medieval and Renaissance Italy, the expected social norm was that a bride’s household provides a dowry. The bride’s husband or his father managed the dowry. Unless the groom passed away, in which the dowry would be returned to the bride, the groom retained control over the dowry and could use it or invest it however he wanted. Although the bride did not possess the ability to manage the dowry, she still held legal ownership over it (Botticini, 105). Technically, a woman’s dowry traveled with her throughout her life. The dowry provided for household costs as well as provided for the woman upon the passing of her husband. Since a woman could not inherit her father’s estate, the dowry served as reassurance that she would be able to protect her own estate (Klapisch-Zuber,